Blog Posts

The Bell

John, the husband of a dear friend, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Robbed of much of his memory and most of his strength, this once sharp, active man spends his time frustrated and dozing in front of the television. He has been cautioned many times not to get up (much less walk) on his own. To…

Forgiving Ourselves

Jesus is always faithful to forgive. When we “miss the mark” – either by chance or choice – we need to go to our loving Lord (and anyone else we’ve wronged) with a repentant heart, humbly asking forgiveness. While Jesus is always faithful to forgive, sometimes others are not. They may be angry, hurt, or…

Choice

Sometimes we forget that the Lord has given us the privilege of choosing who we want to be. At any point, we can choose to continue to be who we’ve always been or grow into the person the Lord envisioned. At a wedding reception, I saw a couple I hadn’t seen in a while. I…

The Inconvenience of Compassion

There are times when we’re asked to do something inconvenient. I was asked to occasionally drive an elderly patron to church. Occasionally turned into a regular thing. It meant losing twenty minutes of sleep every Sunday, driving in the opposite direction of the church, then backtracking to reach our destination. Inconvenient. And, I’d have to…

Passed Over

Being “passed over” when teams were being formed in gym was never a good feeling. Being rejected – “passed over” – for an opportunity to participate in a play or join others for a special activity was painful. Being “passed over” by the in-crowd was wounding. As adults, we may have found ourselves “passed over”…

A Steadfast Focus on Jesus

At the conclusion of 2020 many of us (myself included) were optimistically looking forward to the fresh start a new year brings. Hoping to put political and racial tensions behind us, encouraged by the announcement of vaccines to help protect us from COVID, we anticipated a respite from the unending anxiety and stress of a…

God Keeps His Promises

Obedience and blessing. Years ago, I decided to “go,” to accept a job in another state. Going was my idea. I had doubts but couldn’t identify a “good reason” why I shouldn’t go. It was a great job; it would be a step up in my career. Despite repeatedly sensing I should stay (which I…

Don’t Be Afraid or Discouraged

A quiet pause. Regina had already decided to accept the task the Lord called her to, to live the dream of her youth. She chose to ignore the scary thoughts (most whispered by the enemy) that begged for her attention: “How will you get this done?” “Do really you think you can learn all the…

An Old Dream, A New Life

A big dream. Have you ever had a “big dream”? A hope of your heart, a desire you knew the Lord Himself had planted? A promise you restlessly waited to be fulfilled? Regina had a big dream. Decades had gone by and she still hadn’t seen it fulfilled. It seemed one thing after another had…

Unanswered Prayers

Unanswered prayer.  Unexpected answers. We pray, hoping the Lord will change something: a circumstance, a situation, a heart. With frustration, we realize it seems nothing has changed. But we’re wrong. The “something” the Lord has changed is the heart.   I prayed for decades. I knocked, asked, and prayed for a couple of decades. Sometimes…